| Title | : | Lulu Walks the Dogs |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1442435798 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781442435797 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 160 |
| Publication | : | First published September 4, 2012 |
Lulu Walks the Dogs Reviews
-
This is the second collaboration between
Judith Viorst and
Lane Smith featuring a little girl named
Lulu.
Have I mentioned that I love
Judith Viorst's books? I've read several of her children's books with our girls and I've read all of her
books about the decades of a woman's life. She is such a witty and candid writer, and I love the way that she can really speak to people - young and old. As a parent, I really appreciate that she can tell an entertaining tale while still weaving a lesson about manners into the story. I am also a huge fan of
Lane Smith's work and we really thought the illustrations complemented the story nicely.
We read this book avery quickly. It's a long book, but each chapter is short and some of the pages have little text on them. I love the parts of the narrative where the story is interrupted for an aside to the reader. It's as if Ms. Viorst can read the reader's mind and anticipate the questions and objections to the story. It's a very fun book to read aloud and we had many opportunities to laugh out loud throughout. There are some moral lessons and opportunities for children to recognize bad behavior, but on the whole, it's just a humorous story. Our girls loved this book and so did I. -
Move over Lucy Van Pelt, there's a new kid on the block and she's just as selfish and bratty as you. Meet Lulu. Big head, big mouth, big ideas. She doesn't run a psychiatry booth like Lucy of Peanuts fame, but she does run a dog walking business and I haven't loved a character this much since ...well, Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang. So many things reminded me of Peanuts from the pictures to the characters. The running gag on the poodle called, Pookie, doing "what she's supposed to do" to Lulu informing the reader she's going to call it "poop" reminded me of my younger sister who carried around a stuffed Snoopy dog that turned from pearly white to pukey gray and that she adoringly called, "Poopy." Lulu is spoiled, bossy, loud, in-your-face, irreverent; yet likable, because she says and does things that all of us have wanted to do at one time or another (okay, maybe you haven't but my nasty side has) and she is contrasted by the practically-perfect Fleischman who does everything right and everyone loves.
Lulu demands her parents to give her some unknown thing at the start of the story. She claims that she is growing up and won't throw temper tantrums anymore to get what she wants, instead she manipulates her parents by making them feel guilty and tries negotiating with them. The latter works and she says she will work to save money for the outrageous item that she wants (and no, I'm not going to natter what it is - that would be like pulling the football away before you kick it through the goal posts).
Lulu decides to walk 3 dogs for a fee. The bull dog, Brutus, is a hoot and the pictures Lane Smith draws are delicious with Brutus slobbing the face of a pinned-down Lulu, refusing to walk with its square bulk tanked to the ground, or Lulu being lassoed to a tree with Brutus giving her the who's-the-boss-now Miss Smarty-pants look, (there's more pics - look for yourself - lazy me doesn't want to name them all. Are you wondering why I keep inserting myself into this review? Well, I really don't feel like discussing it right now.) Smith's illustrations remind me of a cross between Charles Schultz and Salvador Dali. He has a surreal look and atmosphere that reminds me of a mix between cartoons and abstract art. Smith explains how Schultz influenced his artwork in Dily Evan's book called, "Show & Tell: Exploring the Fine Art of Children's Illustration," and it is evidenced in his simply drawn characters that show tremendous expression in a small shift of a line on the face. The cover shows Lulu looking at the viewer with no mouth or eyebrows; yet the shape of her head and pointed nose suggest pursed lips and a girl who is not happy as well as surprised that she's been outwitted by a dog (eh-hum... don't go by the blurry picture attached to this review - you have to see the actual book to truly see her eyeballing the reader).
Lulu has problems with the other two dogs as well and only Fleischman seems to have the knack for controlling them. Not that Lulu wants his help. Not that Lulu is even thankful for his help. Lulu doesn't like the practically-perfect Fleischman because she knows she doesn't want to be that way. How boring, she says with an exclamation mark! That's for sure. When she sings her money song throughout the story and has time-out sections I laughed every time (okay adult reader... I see you smiling - you have sung the money song too). But Lulu needs Fleischman's help and he is always there to unfuddle her muddles. At the end, Lulu does show Fleischman respect but they don't go so far as to become best friends. Lulu sarcastically tells the reader this isn't Cinderella with a happy ending. It's just sort of happy.
The author's asides are not intrusive to the plot; they are hysterical, sarcastic, and aid the reader by answering questions that occur while reading the story (errr... yes, I have been trying to imitate the author in this review. Did it work or did I annoy you? I think when author asides don't work they are annoying, don't you?) Depending on the age of the reader some of the humor might go over their heads, but there is still plenty to laugh at. The book is a fast read (took me longer to scratch out this review than read the book) and I am going to have to try it with different ages as a read aloud. Lulu is one character I can read overtime and over time. Hope there are more books to come.
Reading Level 5.3 -
Except for Alexander's [bad] Day, I do not like Viorst. I feel like I should, but I don't. I can see that some folks would love this little brat as she very gradually learns to be less self-centered, and like the humor that's sassy, sarcastic, etc., but I don't. The best bit for me is the cover. Back to a LFL it goes!
-
Lulu and the Brontosaurus was lightning in a bottle - a charming and slim little chapter book that makes a terrific read aloud for kids in grades 1-3. Lulu Walks the Dog tries hard to recapture the magic, but falls short. It is still cute, and kids who loved the first Lulu book will like this one too, but it isn't nearly as charming.
-
First sentence: Lulu--remember Lulu?--used to always be a pig pain, till she met Mr. B, a lovely brontosaurus. Now she is just a sometimes pain, and not nearly as rude as before.
Premise/plot: Lulu wants something, and she's determined to get it. Her parents tell her: if you want it, start earning money and save it. Her idea for how to make money quick? To start her own dog-walking business in the neighborhood. The problem? She doesn't know a thing about dogs, and, well, her dog-skills aren't the best. (Are her people-skills?!?!) The business is doomed to fail unless she can find a way to work with someone else--an "annoyingly" perfect kid named Fleischman.
My thoughts: Definitely enjoyed this one! I love the fact that Lulu likes to make up her own songs. And I do love Lulu's persistence. She's far from ideal, but, she's easy to relate to now and then. I like how this series is quick, quick, quick. LOTS of pictures and quite large font. The length of each chapter is nice as well. Many factors contribute to make this one work for me. And, since there is a dog on the cover, I've got to add that this one is SAFE. No dog dies in this book. -
I did not like this book because I do not like annoying people. I enjoyed this book because I liked the part when Fleischman helped Lulu. I also enjoyed this book because I liked the part when Fleischman untied Lulu from a tree.
-
Although the story is wildly improbable the child's viewpoint feels spot on, as I would expect from Viorst. The humor was beautifully enhanced in the audio version read by Michele Medlin.
-
I don't usually include early readers here, but I have to include Lulu! The boys and I have now read Lulu Walks the Dogs and Lulu and the Brontosaurus and we are huge fans. Lulu is a rude little girl who is trying to be good only because she wants money. Much to her annoyance, she is assisted in her dog walking attempts by a seemingly perfect boy named Fleischman
-
I like Lulu and I also don’t like everyone.
-
Lulu Walks the Dogs is the sequel to Lulu and the Brontosaurus but stands alone just fine. I have not had the chance to read Lulu and the Brontosaurus though that did not stop me from picking up Lulu Walks the Dogs which is its own amusing story that readers of all ages can appreciate.
This is without a doubt, one of the most entertaining middle grade novels your child will read this year. Viorst provides laugh out loud humor, short chapters, and a firecracker character to keep us on our toes. But what makes this book so appreciated on all levels is that the emotions evoked here and situations Lulu gets herself into (i.e. meeting that one person who is just perfect in everything that they set out to do, shooting down your confidence just a bit), everyone can relate to.
Another one of my favorite aspects about the book is the rhythm of the story. It is really something special. There's a lot of repetition and rhyming, the comedic timing comes in at just the right beats, the book is fast paced, and there's even been a victory song created revolving around money. Don't act like you don't sing a little diddy when it's pay day in your neck of the woods. Let's not forget about the "time-outs." After seeing this, you'll wish other books included such time-outs. Finally, the illustrations match the tone of the story perfectly! I hope this is not the last work we see of Viorst and Smith teaming up because they sure do make a great team.
The things that Viorst has thought to include in this book... it reminds me why I fell in love with books at such a young age. Viorst is bold and fun and there's a lesson to learn here. A few in fact. Lulu doesn't appreciate a good thing (a helping hand) until she's forced in a situation where she has no other options but to accept help. This story is about hard work and dedication just as much as it is about humility and kindness. We could all be reminded of these lessons.
Before getting to the last page, I knew that I wanted to read more from Viorst and you will too. While Lulu Walks the Dogs is a quick read, if you want to really pass the time, read it aloud like I did! It will make the reading experience all the more entertaining. If there's one middle grade book you pick up this week, let it be Lulu Walks the Dogs by Judith Viorst!
Note: This review was originally posted on my blog, Hollywood the Write Way. -
Lulu is back! After her adventures in Lulu and the Brontosaurus with Mr. B., she has vowed not to be as big of a pain but only a sometimes pain. In this adventure Lulu wants a super special thing. Her parents tell her no over and over no matter what strategies Lulu uses to convince them. The finally tell her she will have to pay for it herself. So what is Lulu going to do? Walk dogs of course. Does Lulu know anything about dogs? Not a thing but how hard can it be? Lulu gets three dog walking jobs: first there is Brutus, an enormous, bigheaded, bad-breathed brute. Next is Pookie (rhymes with duke not book!) a teeny-tiny white puffball who has to be held. Finally there is Cordelia, a dachshund who loves to hide. Lulu is in trouble from the very first day but luckily she has Fleischman to help her. Fleischman is the most perfect kid in the world and Lulu can't stand him, but she also can't work without him so he becomes her assistant. Together they make a great team, but Lulu is still a pain so of course there are problems.
I absolutely love Lulu. These books are hilarious; mainly because the author interjects throughout the story. I love the timeouts and the "I really don't feel like discussing that right now" interjections. Lane Smith's illustrations perfectly complement Judith Viorst's text. I think this is a wonderful collaboration and I can't wait to see what these two come up with next. This is a very short book and can be read pretty quickly so I urge everyone to fall in love with Lulu! -
Not as great as Lulu and the Brontosaurus, but enjoyable. I just love spunky little Lulu. Reminds me so much of my daughter.
Re-read it in 2021 not realizing I already read it. Lulu and the Brontosaurus is my go-to book to read aloud to an elementary school classroom if I have two or three substitute days in the class. So I read this book to a mixed primary grades class and they loved it! So when I would sub next they kept asking me if I would bring the next Lulu book in the series. I didn’t plan on it, but they kept bugging me so I bought the book to see if it would be a good read. One little girl even asked her parents to buy the whole Lulu series for her for Christmas.
I had two more books to read for my 2021 Good Reads challenge and thought, I need to read this book anyway, so let me read it for the challenge. I will read it to this class because they asked. But not as great as the first book. I also ordered the third book, so when it comes, I will have to try that book to see if it’s better. -
I absolutely love the Lulu books. They're so much fun to read. They're so comical and author often speaker directly to the reader to give explanations. In this book Lulu wants to earn some money and does so walking dogs in the neighborhood. Fleischman a neighbor kid offers to help her but she doesn't think she needs it and harsh as always she tries to blow him off. After 3 weeks of him putting up with her he finally decides enough is enough That's when she really realizes how valuable and useful his company and friendship can be. One reason I enjoy these books in because Lulu isn't a regular kid. She's a brat who is grumpy, and usually has a lesson to Iearn.
-
Lulu's adventures are much more pedestrian in this, her second book, but no less funny. Lulu may or may not have learned her lesson from the brontosaurus, as she gives her new money making venture a try.
Judith Viorst's narrative voice in these Lulu books makes them deliciously easy to read aloud, and guarantees an appreciative listening audience (at least in my household.) -
Lulu Walks the Dogs by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Lane Smith – loved this book as much as the first one (Lulu and the Brontosaurus) Enjoyed the instroduction of new characters, job, dogs, and how characters who aren’t friendly, at all, learn how to get along.
-
Love the message of tolerance, "What's more important than liking everybody is respecting each other." Told with humor, a great book about how we can all get along despite our different perspectives and personalities. It 's our differences that make us unique.
-
Lulu is back and this time she wants to buy a very special thing. But her parents said she would need to buy it herself. So Lulu decides that she will walk dogs, but Lulu is not very good with dogs.
I can't wait to share the Lulu books with my little one. -
Great Book, Lulu is dog walking with people.
-
Cute and funny. Illustrations are awesome and made the story more interesting.
-
I know I should be giving this book a bad review. But on the other hand I can’t. I would probably say:
“Lulu is such a stuck up spoiled child I would hit a shovel on her face.”
But I feel more like right now:
“Even though this book has its imperfections,Lulu learns something and I don’t mind that. She is so funny and the book is so funny and then there was this-“
Oh but there is a reason why I am writing a review right? Let’s get on to that right now.
Lulu wants to buy something. Her parents won’t get it for her. Why? Well...because it’s too expensive. I find it hard to believe they get her ANYTHING she wants but yeah.
They tell her to earn money if she wants to do what she wants. So she does many jobs but she finds dog walking the best.
Also the author doesn’t reveal a lot of details and I think it’s a way to stall and make the plot even bigger. Aside from that though I loved this book.
And my local library has at least like the other three books in this series,but they can’t have the first? Umm...okay.
The three dogs she walks are pretty cute in their own way and have different strategies with how to deal with them:
1)Brutus: A bulldog. Will thump his tail if he likes you. Very huge and large. His owner looks just like him. He won’t move unless you feed him a trail of dog biscuits.
2)Pookie: A poodle of some sort. If you say her name wrong and rhyme it with anything offensive she will chomp onto you. She closes her eyes most of the time and yips. A lot. Play a flute and she will go poo if she needs to. Or was it to walk? Could be both.
3)Cordiella: A German daschund. She hides a lot and her owners have a house with a huge pile of junk. The only way to get her to out of hiding is to compliment her in German.
Out of all the dogs,I found Cordiella the funniest. Pookie also had a special place in my heart. Brutus was...okay.
Walking all the dogs isn’t easy. They are all stubborn and Lulu finds herself having to let perfect old Fleischmann to help her.
She hates him but has no choice. And damn,remember how I loved Junies romance with Jim in the Valentine part of the series. Well they are both the same:
Jim and Junie hate each other.
Lulu and Fleischman hate each other.
I shipped them so hard throughout the whole story.
Everything goes perfectly well until,well...Lulu hurts her partners feelings:
“𝐖𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦....𝐅𝐥𝐞𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐧𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐞𝐬,𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐝. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞.”
I wanted to cry at this part.
And then this came:
“𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭.” 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐥𝐲,𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐦,”𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬-𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭. 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐬𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭.”
“𝐎𝐤𝐚𝐲 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮.” 𝐅𝐥𝐞𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐮𝐥𝐮. “𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐞.”....”𝐎𝐡 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭.” 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐋𝐮𝐥𝐮. “𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲.” 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.
And I was already screaming and laughing like I was crazy.
Lulu realizes that Fleischman is not perfect like her.
And she accepts him.
They don’t fall in love. They are young.
And they aren’t exactly friends.
But the important thing is that they don’t mind each other.
And so be it.
The end.
Lulu wanted to buy a spaceship seat. So unrealistic.
Also,Lulu has now earned her place among my favorite funny book heroines: Beatrice Tinker,Matilda,Abbie Wu,and Junie B. Jones.
Why? She fits the bill. Funny and whipsmart. -
Lulu is a very impatient, spoiled young lady. She is an only child and generally gets whatever she wants. However, what she wants this time is not something that her parents can afford so they encourage her to get a job and earn the money herself. She decides to walk dogs and estimates how much money she will need to charge per dog and how many dogs she will need to walk in order to earn the complete amount in two years. She finds three dogs to walk, but since she knows nothing about dogs she quickly finds herself in trouble. An annoying boy who lives down the street comes to her rescue but quits when she under appreciates him. Without his help she is soon tied to a tree by the largest of her charges as he runs around the tree and entangles her with the leash. The annoying boy returns and they work things out after an entire afternoon of sharing what bothers them about each other. They decide to split the money and although they don't become friends, the do find that they are able to work together quite well thereafter.
Lulu begins the book with very few redeeming qualities and ends the book with only a few more. The story is told by an observer with a humorous voice who occasionally expresses personal opinions about the characters in the story and the events of the story as well. The narrator tells the reader about Lulu and about the annoying perfect kid down the street in a way that shows empathy for the person reading the book and what they may be thinking or wanting to ask. This gives the book interest and a self effacing point of view. This is a good book but misses excellence by not giving Lulu and the boy down the street an opportunity to make a mutually beneficial friendship for future books in the series. Perhaps that is the point and the author will give them a different relationship in future sagas. It is nice that the story makes a point of the fact that people do not have to be friends to work well together. The black and white illustrations are great! -
Viorst shares a strong, fun voice in the Lulu series.
The shape of the book, tall & thin, is fun as well.
This book is in the intermediate section of the public library.
In this book Lulu is determined to get what she wants. This time her parents say no, and stick to it.
If Lulu wants what she wants, she'll have to earn the money herself.
She decides to be a dog walker, only she really doesn't have experience, and walking 3 dogs at the same time is a bit more than she really can handle. But there's this kid, Fleischman, who is one of those 'gag' perfect little gentleman....gag. He hangs around as Lulu begins her route and offers quite helpful help and suggestions, all for the honor and privilege of helping her. -gag-.
Lulu still her moments of being bossy, self centered, and ungrateful, and tell Fleischman off.
She gets in quite a predicament, and things Fleischman will show up. He does, but not to help, to help Lulu see the error of her ways.
Lulu and Fleishman are very different people, very different. They don't really become friends, what happens is they learn to respect each other, and sometimes that's more important than friendship.
Viorst end the book with some unanswered questions...she covers them in Q & A chapters. -
So, apparently I'm reading the Lulu books in opposite order...only the first one to go!!
Lulu is a hoot! A self-absorbed willful child who must learn every thing the hard way...the really hard way.
She wants money -- lots of money. She wants to do something even better than her arch-enemy, Fleishmann, Mr. Perfect.
She decided to walk dogs before school. Her three clients probably should not be walked together, but don't try to tell that to Lulu. In fact, don't try to tell ANYTHING to Lulu. That's not the way she learns.
The dogs are hilarious, and the rivalry between Lulu and Fleishmann, who doesn't understand there IS a rivalry is so entertaining.
Lines are drawn..challenges are made.
And Lulu learns.
I had forgotten how very much I love Viorst's voice. She speaks directly TO the reader, explaining what she's doing as the author, and why...how the story is rolling along. Her snarky humor is perfect for Miss Lulu.
Now on to the first one in the series.
I LOVE LULU!! -
Judith Viorst has a special way with words that makes everything so much more amusing than just about anyone else would make it. I loved the time out sections in the story, and generally everything else about this text. The design of the book also added to the overall appeal. I understand that after this title, the rest of the books in the series were illustrated by Kevin Cornell, but I have to say that Lane Smith laid out the model, and it works. A true pleasure to read. Great read aloud potential!
-
I enjoyed this book. It is the first Lulu story I have read, and I was pleasantly surprised by the humor in the story. Plus, I really enjoy the author talking to the reader intermittently through the story. Lulu reminds me of Junie B. Jones, and I think would appeal to other students who are having a hard time finding another fun, spunky character to read after Junie.
